Halloween: Skimpy costumes girls a disturbing trend

[L]

Oct 17, 2014 14:57:20 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Oct 17, 2014 14:55:27 GMT -5 L said:

Ha!  Maybe so!  The 2 archer outfits we found both were short.
Everyone loved my girls outfits last year...I saw no pearl clutching.  For actual T OT Ting, they wear leggings & by dark coats because it's CO & can be chilly at Halloween...

Cute, but Batgirl would be wearing pants if she was my kid.

I'm not worried about pearl clutching. I'm worried that costume is sexier than my version was that I wore in my 20s.

They all wear legging for actual wearing out...that's a given because it is Fall.  Also I have never worn a sexy costume in my life unless you count wonderwoman under Roos at 4yrs old.  I naturally got more modest as I got older, not less.  I see this with my DD1 who has no interest in wearing a bikini but a couple years ago she could've cared less.  

[Deleted]

Oct 17, 2014 15:03:01 GMT -5 L said:

Oct 17, 2014 14:57:20 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Cute, but Batgirl would be wearing pants if she was my kid.

I'm not worried about pearl clutching. I'm worried that costume is sexier than my version was that I wore in my 20s.

They all wear legging for actual wearing out...that's a given because it is Fall.  Also I have never worn a sexy costume in my life unless you count wonderwoman under Roos at 4yrs old.  I naturally got more modest as I got older, not less.  I see this with my DD1 who has no interest in wearing a bikini but a couple years ago she could've cared less.  

You understand that we're not really worried about what the little girls think of this, right? It's about the sexualization of little girls by adults.

[D2M]

@louisamay, not that my stamp of approval matters, but your daughters' costumes are cute and not creepy. Also, the leggings count as pants in my book.

[lindsaymg]

I would rather see 10,000 Elsa costumes this year than even one of those.

[hski2349]

While skin is not exposed, I think it is promoting the flirty/sexy costumes. Why?

[winecheery]

Ok, what stands out as more disturbing to me is the way the kids are posed in the costumes, not necessarily the costumes themselves. The costumes are pretty bad though, it's true, but when I say that, it's because I find the quality to appear tacky. Cat one in particular, ew.

But if a girl is going through a super girly phase or something, and wants to be a cop, for example, but likes the idea of a skirt still, I'd personally pair tights with it to cover some skin up, and make sure the length was reasonable (i.e. at or just above knee, nbd) and that just basically all of her parts were not going to be exposed. But I'd do that with any costume; I do that with my own costumes too.

Maybe I'm not up in arms because I've seen little girls wear less at dance recitals…and dance in a way that matches what they are wearing, and THAT pisses me off way, way more.

I'll be bold, I guess, and say that after seeing the pix of her family all dressed up as superheroes, (was your DH the Hulk??!) I think L 's kids do not look trashy or inappropriate. The leggings helped that fact, but the skirts were not too short IMO, except maybe your little batgirl. Even so, I do not think your daughters looked inappropriate in those photos. They were just little girls, dressed up.

Again, I think the trouble for me is the way these models were posed in the costumes, and how they are marketed. Not that the dresses themselves are that slutty.

[D2M]

winecheery, I also was thinking about dance recital costumes. Again, going back to the 80s and early 90s, I definitely recall skimpy outfits, TONS of makeup (and giant, hairsprayed hair, of course) and booty shaking at my sister's dance recitals. (I was always too uncoordinated for dance classes.)

[Deleted]

I will fully admit to finding dance culture pretty skeezy.

[L]

Oct 17, 2014 15:04:29 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Oct 17, 2014 15:03:01 GMT -5 L said:

They all wear legging for actual wearing out...that's a given because it is Fall.  Also I have never worn a sexy costume in my life unless you count wonderwoman under Roos at 4yrs old.  I naturally got more modest as I got older, not less.  I see this with my DD1 who has no interest in wearing a bikini but a couple years ago she could've cared less.  

You understand that we're not really worried about what the little girls think of this, right? It's about the sexualization of little girls by adults.



I just don't find those horrible (a skirted/dress version of a male dominated profession).  BUT like I say I wouldn't associate it with porn or adults trying to make them sexy because I don't have that frame of reference.  In my head these are what I'd say is a porn/sexy version.  Clearly it's more extreme in my head than other peoples.  

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[winecheery]

Oct 17, 2014 15:36:15 GMT -5 D2M said:

winecheery, I also was thinking about dance recital costumes. Again, going back to the 80s and early 90s, I definitely recall skimpy outfits, TONS of makeup (and giant, hairsprayed hair, of course) and booty shaking at my sister's dance recitals. (I was always too uncoordinated for dance classes.)

That's what I'm saying!!!  Three year olds grinding up on things because "that's hip hop"??  No.  Competition dance infuriates me for a number of reasons (which are not relevant to this thread!!)  but that's kind of where the sexualization happens to me.  When the adults *make* something overtly and inappropriately sexual for little kids (mostly girls, but yes, little boys too) that could just be considered cute/playful/fun/spunky.  

That's what I'm saying with these costumes.  I think if the models wearing them were posed differently, and they were called different things, our perception of their level of appropriateness would potentially be changed.  Maybe not, but that's kind of where I'm at right now.

And D2M, your lack of coordination spared you the booty shaking, it sounds like!  I clearly never did competition type dancing, lol  The costumes/dances were especially super bad back then for some reason too, I had friends who did it, ugh.

[GotWine]

These are terrible. I'm grateful that DD is still at the age where I chose the costume and she has no say.

[Deleted]

Oct 17, 2014 15:44:45 GMT -5 winecheery said:

Oct 17, 2014 15:36:15 GMT -5 D2M said:

winecheery, I also was thinking about dance recital costumes. Again, going back to the 80s and early 90s, I definitely recall skimpy outfits, TONS of makeup (and giant, hairsprayed hair, of course) and booty shaking at my sister's dance recitals. (I was always too uncoordinated for dance classes.)

That's what I'm saying!!!  Three year olds grinding up on things because "that's hip hop"??  No.  Competition dance infuriates me for a number of reasons (which are not relevant to this thread!!)  but that's kind of where the sexualization happens to me.  When the adults *make* something overtly and inappropriately sexual for little kids (mostly girls, but yes, little boys too) that could just be considered cute/playful/fun/spunky.  

That's what I'm saying with these costumes.  I think if the models wearing them were posed differently, and they were called different things, our perception of their level of appropriateness would potentially be changed.  Maybe not, but that's kind of where I'm at right now.

And D2M, your lack of coordination spared you the booty shaking, it sounds like!  I clearly never did competition type dancing, lol  The costumes/dances were especially super bad back then for some reason too, I had friends who did it, ugh.

I actually agree with you.

Unfortunately, if adults buy these costumes as pictured, they're actually buying into it being "cute". Like this.

[Marmee]

What's funny is that Elsa's swagger/come hither look/transformation in the movie bothered me quite a bit....more than these costumes (pose/names not withstanding).

[winecheery]

Oct 17, 2014 15:49:25 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Oct 17, 2014 15:44:45 GMT -5 winecheery said:

That's what I'm saying!!!  Three year olds grinding up on things because "that's hip hop"??  No.  Competition dance infuriates me for a number of reasons (which are not relevant to this thread!!)  but that's kind of where the sexualization happens to me.  When the adults *make* something overtly and inappropriately sexual for little kids (mostly girls, but yes, little boys too) that could just be considered cute/playful/fun/spunky.  

That's what I'm saying with these costumes.  I think if the models wearing them were posed differently, and they were called different things, our perception of their level of appropriateness would potentially be changed.  Maybe not, but that's kind of where I'm at right now.

And D2M, your lack of coordination spared you the booty shaking, it sounds like!  I clearly never did competition type dancing, lol  The costumes/dances were especially super bad back then for some reason too, I had friends who did it, ugh.

I actually agree with you.

Unfortunately, if adults buy these costumes as pictured, they're actually buying into it being "cute". Like this.

I totally get your point here, and I feel I know what you mean when you say it.  And I think it has strong validity, too.

I guess on the one hand, buying them at all perpetuates a stereotype, but I'd like to think that I could be doing the reverse by hypothetically purchasing a costume like this, and by being sure it fits properly (i.e., what I said before about being a reasonable length skirt, maybe adding tights, being sure nothing is exposed, etc) I am showing people how it can be worn as a fun and cute costume, and not deemed slutty at all.  

I kind of think that it's all just a big shame.     Because the odds of those little girls knowing that what they are wearing is viewed as bad, or that they are perpetuating over-sexualization is slim; they just think they look cool or whatever, but I guess I'd just get flamed for buying the costume and trying to fight the stereotype.  Because,how the heck would anyone know that was my intention when I bought it??  Wah.

I am more mad at the marketing still, though.  The people who designed/named/photographed these costumes are still the ones who need a good shaking.  

[shellbear09]

Yeah no way my daughter is wearing those types of costumes at that age. I was looking for a bumble bee costume for dd and there are so many that are spaghetti strap dresses with tutus. Um no I want a freaking bumble bee! I did get one on ebay. I hate all the girl versions of costumes that don't look like they are supposed to.

[barefootcontessa]

time to dust off the sewing machine. the sexualization of children has got to stop!

[bugandbibs]

Oct 17, 2014 16:37:58 GMT -5 barefootcontessa said:

time to dust off the sewing machine. the sexualization of children has got to stop!

This.

I make my kids coutumes every year because the ones out there are crap for older girls. This year DD1 wants to be Little Red Riding Hood- you should see some of the tween girl versions out there, yikes! She's super excited about her cape because it goes all the way to the floor.

[AmyRI]

While dance (and figure skating, and gymnastics, and cheerleading...) culture also bothers me, at least in those cases the adult professionals also wear hardly any clothes.

I find sexualizing police officers, military service members, and felines to be a whole new disturbing level.

[bowies]

My only contribution to this thread is I hate how easily we throw around the word "slutty" to describe a short skirt. Call it sexy all day long (because that's what those costumes are, and that's inappropriate enough for young children) but perpetuating the idea that immodest clothing is an indicator of negative sexual mores isn't doing our daughters and sons any favors either.

[zarapipe]

This is exactly why dd is going to he a big, fat and padded strawberry this year. I cannot take the provocative outfits for little girls.

[ny96]

We were at Boo at the Zoo today and I saw a little girl wearing the cop costume. It's just as disturbing in person.

[Deleted]

Oct 18, 2014 4:37:56 GMT -5 bowies said:

My only contribution to this thread is I hate how easily we throw around the word "slutty" to describe a short skirt. Call it sexy all day long (because that's what those costumes are, and that's inappropriate enough for young children) but perpetuating the idea that immodest clothing is an indicator of negative sexual mores isn't doing our daughters and sons any favors either.

"Slutty" as a descriptor of Halloween costumes is pretty standard, though... that's why I used it. Citation:

[Deleted]

This just came across my twitter and is even worse than the original stuff.